Never Say Never
by Tynee23
Summary: Set in an alternate universe Sookie grows up knowing why she is different. An old friend comes back to town to take out Heroin out for 21st. Is the invitation as innocent as it seems and what will the family have to say about her night on the town. Sookie/Eric Mature Adults Only - Abuse, Language and Lemons eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**Never Say Never**

**MATURE** ADULTS ONLY

Please be advised some people may be DISTURBED OR OFFENDED by the following chapter. Alludes to Sookie's experience with her 'Funny Uncle'.

YOU CAN CLICK THE - X - AT ANY TIME. NOBODY WILL MAKE YOU READ 'TIL THE END.

Chapter 1

Stackhouse property Bon Temps

16 years before Vampires make themselves known.

"Oh… We must have gone to sleep Mindy." The tiny girl says to her dolly as she wakes up under a pile of old blankets in the corner of her daddy's tool shed.

"It's dark now but we're not scayered ares we.? Do you like the nest we made forwer us? Nobody gonna find us heayer Baby girl… Member we came in the secret way." That had been a good find while she was playing mud pies with Mindy last weekend. While leaning on the shed scraping some dirt to mix in the old saucepan Gran had given her when two of the planks of wood moved apart making just enough room for her and Mindy to squeeze through. They spent the rest of the weekend making their hidey hole, bringing a couple of old blankets for comfort and a few of Jason's action figures for lookouts. It was the perfect hideout. Nobody would look in there for them because Daddy always locked the tool shed.

"I think I still have some crackers and water left if y'all are hungry?" The little girl holds the raggedy cabbage patch doll up to her ear and listens carefully.

"Are ya sure…? It's bad manners to eat in front of others, my Gran says so." Holding the doll up to her little ear again she nods her head. "Well if you insist, I am kind'a hungry. Do you want me to save you some? OK… Thanks Mindy." Carefully so as not to make any noise she opens the plastic lunchbox. Inside are a handful of TV snacks and a few sips of water in her plastic drink bottle left over from her school lunch.

Heavy footfalls outside in the dark make her still and start to shake so she takes tighter hold of Mindy for comfort. Mindy is her only friend besides Gran and Grandpa. She has yellow hair the same colour as the little girl but the wooly dolls hair is going frizzy and coming out of it original ties. Gran says she'll fix it when she visits next. Because of all the cuddling and kissing she gets, Mindy's face is very dirty and badly stained from giving comfort when the little girl is sad – which is pretty often, Sookie loved her Mindy.

She called her dolly Mindy after her favorite TV character, Mindy, out of 'Mork and Mindy'. She loved how Mindy was friends with Mork even though he was different and wished she was her friend too. So when her Daddy gave her the dolly for her fourth birthday there was no question what she would call her.

"I've looked everywhere Uncle but I can't find Sookie anywhere. Mommy and Daddy are sure gonna be mad when they find out she didn't come home from school. Maybe we should call Gran and Grandpa and see if she's over t'their house."

"Now how would a little girl of five walk all those miles across town Jason? Use ya head ya dumb shit." Slap

"Ouch… Why'd ya do that for Uncle? I ain't the one that's run off." Slap "Ouch!" Sookie and Mindy couldn't help but giggle some. Jason was as dumb as a box a rocks… Well that's what Momma said.

"Shut up dumb-ass… Did ya' hear that?" Sookie covered her mouth with Mindy, covered Mindy's mouth with her hands and they both held their breath. All was quiet. The only sounds she could hear was her blood pumping in her ears and the heavy breathing and shuffling feet of the two outside but there was something else she was picking up on, 'cause Sookie has a disability. That's what made her different and she was sure that just like Mork she came from another world and she would have to learn to pretend the rest of her life so she could fit in too. This is what she struggled with day to day. She hated her curse (that's what her Momma called it 'cause she didn't know she was from another planet) because Sookie could hear what her Uncle Bartlet was thinking. Uncle Bartlet is a _'Funny Uncle'_ and unfortunately for the little girl that doesn't mean he's a joker. It means he is not right in the head and takes pleasure from doing bad things to little girls. That is why her Daddy's sister, Aunt Linda moved to New Orleans with her daughter Hadley after Hadley's Daddy left with 'no 'count trailer- trash whore' – well that's Momma calls her.

Sookie wasn't so lucky. Bartlet had been interfering with her since at least two birthdays gone that she could remember. At first she thought things he did were on accident. His hands would slip and touch Sookie in places no one but her Momma or Gran did when they were bathing her. Sometimes he'd bounce her on his lap and she would feel something like a long sort of hard tube underneath her and after a while he'd press her down hard on it knowing nobody was looking and his thoughts… so scary for a little girl and he makes muffled grunting noises into the back of her hair. Sookie's most happiest when he stops, he always lets Sookie go when he stops. He goes straight to the john and she makes a B-line to her Daddy but last week Daddy pushed her off of his lap saying she must have sat in somethin' at school 'cause she had some paste or somethin'on her behind and to go to her room and change. While she was still in her room after changing her clothes, Uncle came in and grabbed up Mindy and said-

"If'n you tell about that…" and he pointed to her messed cloths and got right up in Sookie's face his long lank hair hanging in his eyes. "I will rip… this here… stupid cunt of a doll… to ribbons. D'ya hear?" Sookie didn't go back out the family. Scared and crying, her and Mindy hid under the covers of her bed all night. His words were real mean but in his head, was real scary. Sookie never ever wanted to be alone with him again. He'd slapped her and touched her before but he was thinking she was old enough for somethin' new. Nobody had ever put their fingers in there before. He was going to hurt her and he was going to like it.

"Maybe we should go inside and call your Gran. If your Pa's home from work he's a better swimmer than me and we may need to check the pond." Sookie could hear her brother and Uncle climb the steps of the front porch. Relaxing she forgot about her lunch box and knocked it enough that the plastic drink bottle rattled in the box. That would have been OK because no one had heard but when she moved quickly to try and recover it, Sookie little foot hit the loose boards on the side of the shed and the movement caught Bartlet's eye.

"You go on and phone ya Gran. Ya Daddy asked me to check and see if he has gas in the gerry can in the tool shed so he can mow on the weekend. You stay here incase Sook comes in." Bart softly says to Sookie's brother.

"OK Uncle Bart."

"Good boy Jason. Y'all can put on the TV and watch a while if ya like."

"Thanks Uncle Bart."

Sookie was so panicked about making the noise with her lunch box she didn't realize she had knocked the palings on the shed and she didn't hear the man-sized foot falls coming towards the shed or hear the broadcast from the predators mind or the unlocking of the padlock as she and Mindy prayed to Jesus to keep them safe and wish for her Daddy, her Granpa, her Gran (Not Momma… No not her Momma. She'd told her Momma about Uncle Bartlet and got a whoopin') to come home and keep the nasty man away from her – for eva and eva Ay Men.

It wasn't until he was pulling away the tarp and blankets that hid their little nest from around her that Sookie realized – He'd found them.

Grabbing the child by her hair because that was the easiest thing to get purchase on, he dragged her out from the corner under the work bench, never saying a word as he did it, pulling her little body over boxes and tools not caring if she was injured. She wasn't going to live past tonight anyways.

Once he got a grip on Sookie's waiflike arm his thoughts bombarded her mind. In a panic the little warrior started hitting Bartlet with Mindy but the soft doll just annoyed the sadist and he ripped it out of the wriggling child's hand and threw it into the dirt.

Realizing she'd lost Mindy, Sookie started to scream for her friend. Bartlet snapped and slapped the child unconscious and carried her tiny limp body out into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

Never Say Never

**Chapter 2**

**FPOV**

I'm so happy to be finally heading home to my beautiful bride. I've had this nagging feeling all afternoon that I need to be home making an already complicated day more than a little stressful for me, as we, the delegation of all participating supernatural's – The Supernatural Council - take part in deep long-winded negotiations over the vampire's decision to reveal themselves worldwide to the human populace.

The deliberations which started a few months ago have been problematic to say the least. The vampires do have an archaic hierarchy in place which will help somewhat with the monitoring of the undead after their assimilation but their egocentric practices, especially involving humans, leave a lot to be desired and they'll need to make considerable changes to their interactions in future to make their ultimate disclosure attainable. I can see this process will take many years to get anywhere.

I took my place on the council as representative for my race when my Father _offered_ to let me live in Bon Temps with my Adele and our family and more importantly has agreed to our autonomy for the foreseeable future, for my service to the Realm. My father, Niall Brigant Prince of the Sky Fae and ultimate leader of the Faery realm has many enemies and seeing as though I am only one half Fae, I chose to raise my hybrid family in exile among the humans away from the elitist Fae and their bigotry. I had to deal with enough of that attitude while growing up and I don't want that for any of my get.

I have welcomed my father's _magnanimous_ concession in regard to my wishes because we were estranged for decades before we came to this mutually beneficial agreement and as much as my Father can be uncompromising and stiff in his manners, I do love him. More importantly this new collaboration means I am now able to openly visit with my twin brother Dermot and it was only through his determined efforts it was made possible.

Much to my leader's chagrin he has never met any of my offspring. I doubt he would show much sincere interest in either my son or daughter, as neither one of them has exhibited any spark of Fae power or other potential genetic _talents, _except only in their ability to entice the opposite sex. Niall knows via Dermot the some of their abilities and as such has not really pressed to see them in recent years. Taking into consideration Corbet and Linda's abilities there has been some uneducated assumptions in Fae as to the abilities of my three grandchildren and neither Dermot nor I have done anything to discourage this opinion. If my father, his enemies or indeed other members of the new Supernatural Council found out about Corbet's youngest child Sookie our peaceful small town life would be over.

I want to keep all of our lives as humanly normal for as long as I can. I even took Adele's first husband's sir-name as my own to fit in better with her small Louisiana town community and hide my Supernatural roots from Brigant enemies. Mitchel Stackhouse was killed while working on the Parish road crew, crushed in between a truck and a tree a few days before I met Adele.

She saw my otherness as soon as I stepped out of her woods and I knew she was my soul mate as soon as our eyes met. The heat between us was instantaneous and as much as Adele wanted to abide by Southern propriety neither of us could fight the attraction we had for one another.

It didn't take us long to come up with a cover story that would hide my identity from any casual investigation and meet with the communities standards of seemly behavior. Adele introduced me as Mitchel's cousin from England (I had a distinct accent back then, which I have tried very hard to erase) come for his funeral. No one even batted an eye. I stayed on to help Adele with the house and eventually we married and it was like, that was what they expected from me. I'm over seven hundred years old and I've never been happier.

The pulling feeling in my chest is becoming very insistent and thankfully I am pulling into our driveway when I feel Adele's indisputable call through our magical connection. I pull the car up at the front of the house instead of driving around to park near the mud porch as usual and Adele is throwing the door open in a panic so I teleport to her side.

"Oh Fintan, we have to get to Corbet's right now. Sookie is missing and Jason is alone with Bartlet…." Tears are streaming down her face. The turmoil I feel from her is overwhelming.

"We will go my love but when did you hear of this?" I try to sooth her with my actions and through our connection.

"Jason just called. He said they had been searching for her for quite a while and Bart thought we should go over so you could check the pond because they've searched everywhere else… Oh Fintan, she knows not to play near the pond..." I realize the nagging pull I've been feeling all afternoon has been from our little princess and start to concentrate on my familial connection with my little grand- daughter. Nothing… I feel absolutely nothing.

"Adele, are you well enough to drive dear heart." I will teleport there and track her.

"Yes… I will be fine. What can you feel from her?" I have to be totally honest.

"Nothing… I feel nothing my love." I squeeze her shoulders as I look straight into her tear-filled eyes. "Come quickly." I barely see her nod before I make myself transport to my sons home.

"JASON!... JASON!..." I'm calling as soon as I materialize on the ground near their back porch. I run up the steps and into the house because the TV is blaring and I'm certain my grand-son can't hear me.

"Jason! What are you doing watching TV when your sister is missing? Turn it off… NOW!" I just don't believe this kid sometimes. It's like he really has no concern for his little sister at all. "Where is Uncle Bart?" I don't trust Adele's brother in any respect and Adele and I have repeatedly asked my son and his wife not to use him to mind the children. I think Corbet listened but Michelle is just plain pigheaded and won't pay attention just because it's us. She doesn't like anything or anyone that she thinks gets between her and Corbet. If she could only see how much love is inside my son and understand he has plenty to go 'round.

"Uncle Bart said I could watch TV while we waited for you Gran'dady. He said he had to get somethin' out of Daddy's tool shed… The Gerry can to get petrol for the mower." He beamed at me happy to have remembered what Bart was doing. I had no comfort for him this evening. I heard that Adel had arrived and was coming to the back door.

"Go find your Gran and get her to call your Daddy and get him home like yesterday… Y'understand. Then when he gets here you tell him to meet me in the woods. He'll know where to find me." I nodded to Adele as I passed her on the steps.

The door on the tool shed had been broken into and I could sense my princess had been in there. Taking a closer look I could see things had been over-turned as something had been pulled from under a tarp in the back corner. I moved further into the shed to get a better look and could see a little nest made of baby blankets with a few toys placed around it like they were keeping watch. My breath caught in my throat wonderin' just what had gone on to make our little one make something like this.

I needed to find her and I suppose, Bartlet. Outside the shed I find Mindy tossed into the dirt. Mindy is Sookie's baby and she goes nowhere without her. To see the doll lying like a piece of trash in the dirt makes me really understand, blood of my blood was indeed in grave danger.

I have to still my mind and concentrate. I commune with the base Faery instincts within me and unleash them to lead me to the animal that would hurt a sweet little five year old girl.

I follow the stench of the unclean wretch that masquerades as a trusted family member and in my true Faery form it doesn't take me long to find the miscreant undressing our princess and touching her like no adult should. Her little face seemed deformed and blood was running from her nose. I could see by the way it was lying on the damp ground that her arm was broken and she had deep scratches down her legs from where she had been pulled from her hiding place in the shed. She wasn't crying, she wasn't reacting at all and I couldn't feel her through the blood. With a yell that silenced the entire forest I flung all of my anger toward the man hitting him with a compacted air sphere that made him fly through the air and smack into a large tree. He landed unconscious at it's base and I willed some local weeds to rise up and bind he so he couldn't get away.

I didn't care what happened to him all my concentration was on my grand-daughter. I moved quickly to her side being very careful not to disturb her incase I made her injuries worse and passed my hand over her body trying to feel what they may be. I was not very talented in this area but I didn't want to proceed with moving her until I understood her injuries.

While I was doing this my son came barreling through the scrub. When I turned to him I was shocked to see a faery. Having had the shock of maybe losing his child must have ignited some small spark in him.

"Father!?..." He actually looked like he was going to attack me. I rolled my eyes at him and indicated with my head the pile of filth restrained at the base of the tree across the way. He strode over to the now conscious reprobate. If it wasn't for the circumstances I could have crowed like the proud father, he was magnificent in his anger and I will be forever grateful for this flash of brilliance I am witnessing before me… but time is of the essence, I close my eyes and concentrate on my heart and call my mate to me. She will be able to help our little one better than I.


	3. Chapter 3

Never Say Never

**Chapter 3**

**FPOV**

When I felt Adel move toward the forest I teleported to her and brought her to Sookie before Corbet could realize I had been anywhere. He was giving the mongrel a first class faery come to Jesus. He had unbound Bart in a flash and began to pummel him and when he fell to the ground Corbet put his steel cap work boots to good use.

"SOOKIE!..." Adele screamed and raced the few paces to her side. Adele's scream had been enough to pull at Corbet's awareness. He hadn't let up on the mongrel since arriving at the scene.

"Momma?…" He sobbed his faery essence fading as he looked down at Bartlet wondering what the hell he was doing but when he turned around to look at Adele and saw Sookie lying unconscious on the damp ground his cry of anguish detonated a burst of air that flattened the surrounding saplings.

Daddy?... What's happening?... Who did this to my baby girl?..." he said pointing to the unrecognizable form of Bartlet. "Why are we all glowing?... Is Sook going to be OK?..." I jumped up and put my are around Corbet. He flinched a little but when he realized my glow wouldn't burn him he resented his head on my shoulder.

"There is much we need to discuss but Sookie's welfare takes priority." I indicate the bloody mess that surprisingly still has a heartbeat "I have warned you… Your Momma has warned you and I believe Uncle Dermot has even spoken to you about keeping Bartlet away from Sookie but here we are… and there he is…" I point to our princess "and there is our baby girl."

Daddy I put my foot down Bartlet was never to be anywhere near our Baby but Michelle won't have any of it. I don't know how many times I've punished Sookie 'cause Michelle said she was tellin' lies. Oh Daddy I'm so sorry." He falls on his knees next to Sookie.

"Don't touch her!" Adele shocks both of us with her anger. Ignoring both of us she puts her hands flat on the earth and sends a prayer to her Mother Goddess Gaea. I know my wife is other but I've never really seen her display her magic so potently.

"Momma?..." Corbet half exclaims, half questions not recognizing the powerful Dryad in front of him, as a strange leafy plant grows in front of our eyes answering my dear hearts call. When the plant is as high as my hip the single heart-shaped leaf forms into a solid cup that fills with golden nectar. Adel takes hold of the cup and starts another chant. I have heard this one before and know it as a prayer of thanks and again Corbet and I watch as the plant dies leaving Adele holding the green cup.

Fintan, come and gently lift Sookie's head so I can give this to her." I know that tone and move to do my wife's bidding immediately. Corbet moves to do it but again Adele tells him to leave her be.

"Momma, please let me help my baby." Adele doesn't even look at him.

"You have had five years to help your baby Corbet and you have chosen to turn your back on her time and time again. Sookie has never said anything to me but the way her brother treats her and her happiness when she is away from your home says it louder than any words. You do not deserve her. Fintan!..." I am instantly kneeling at Sookie's head and lifting her gently by the shoulders and head.

Adele finally looks up at her son and sees his pain and relents.

"Here Corbet… pour this gently into her mouth while I hold it open. I need you both to repeat the incantation with me. You must trust me for this is the only thing I can do to keep her alive." We both nod our willingness

"Thank you Momma." Corbet adds and I see my wife beam, understanding that her son has finally woken from whatever spell he has been under since he met Michelle.

"Gracious Mother Gaea… Accept our little one into your embrace and keep her sole within your care. Hold her light within your heart and grant her the gift of life." We repeated the chant over and over while Corbet slowly drop by drop fed the golden elixir to our little girl. When all was consumed Adele took the cup and buried it where the living plant had grown again giving thanks to Mother Gaea.

I was expecting that Sookie's injuries would instantaneously heal but the only thing noticeable was that her heartbeat had slowed at first I thought it had stopped but Adele felt my panic and told me to listen. I was confused to say the least.

"My love our baby's injuries are too much for me to heal. I have slowed down her blood flow and my mother is keeping her alive for now. Do you know any powerful healers in the realm that would help a hybrid?" I know of what Adele is implying. There are a few very powerful healers in my Father's circle but none that would help our little cherub.

"How has this…" I gesture to the piece of earth where the shriveled up plant was now buried. "Helped us at all?" Adele leaned in, touched my arm and looked me right in the eye.

"My Mother says you know just the being to help our child…" She closes her eyes. "He resides not far from here and you know him well. My Mother is showing me a rather large and old looking Norway Spruce." Adele gives me a quizzical look.

"I had a meeting in Shreveport last night with the local Sheriff."

"Why did you have to go all the way to Shreveport when Bud lives here in Bon Temps?" Corbet joined in.

"Son, we have to talk about a lot of things. I know most of it will be confusing but we need to get Sookie help and then we will sit together and talk for a time, OK... but to answer briefly I was talking about a different Sheriff." Corbet nodded and went back to stroking Sookie's hair.

"Let's get Sookie home Fintan and then you can go and see if this Sheriff can help us." Adele said and began to weave more magic that made the plants grow and make a type of cocoon around Sookie so she would be held still while we transported her.

"Take us all to Hummingbird lane please dear."

"What about Michelle and Jason?" Corbet asked.

"Would they really care?" Adele asked our son.

"To answer truthfully Momma I'd have to say probably not about the little one but I know Michelle will be comin' out to look for me soon if she hasn't started already."

"OK, we will go home and you can call Michelle from there and her and Jason can drive over when we're ready for them and that's how it will go." Adele wasn't taking any nonsense tonight.

"OK Momma." Corbet got up and went to retrieve something lying in the grass. When he returned he was holding Sookie's baby doll. "What are we gonna do with that pile 'a shit." He motions to Bart's unconscious form.

"Oh I think I have just the right punishment for him." I can feel my teeth begin to elongate and become pointy as I smile my Fae smile at my son and I'm so proud when he returns one just the same.

"Men." My wife huffs but when I look at her I can see she's just as proud as me.

In an instant I take us all to the front yard of our home. I didn't want to take Bartlet into our home.

"You two take Sookie inside and get her comfortable. I'll take this pile of excrement to the tool shed and lock him in – not that think he'll be going anywhere soon – then I'll go visit the Sheriff."

"OK love, be careful. Maybe you should ring ahead before calling in person." My wife has such a clear head in emotional situations. Thank Gaea.

After I lock what's left of my brother-in-law in the tool shed I call the Vampire Sheriff.

"Northman." Right to the point.

"Brigant." That is the name the old Vampire knows me as.

"Two nights in a row my friend, people will begin to talk." If things weren't so serious I would join him in our usual flirtatious banter but not tonight.

"Are you in your office?" I only hear "Ye…" before I am standing in front of his desk. We hang up at the same time.

"What's the rush my friend?" Yes we are friends and have been so for at least five hundred years. The Northman and I have found ourselves fighting on the same side many times since we met.

"Eric. I need your help." I have never openly asked for the Vampire's help but I know he will help me if he can. He believes he owes me a life debt after I served his sadistic maker his final death a decade after we met.

Appius was using his makers command to have Eric raid a Fae hamlet in Ireland. My brother and I responded to a call for help from the Rí (King) of the indigenous Fae and when we arrived at Uther's court and talked to the survivors of the attack I realized the rampaging vampire was known to me. What was also known to me however was that given the choice, The Northman would never act so outlandishly.

Dermot and I made a plan to capture the huge vamp… alive. Using tar, silver particles and our power over the wind we easily subdued my friend and while he writhed in agony on the ground further coating himself in silver his maker – feeling his pain and helplessness through their bond - came to his aid. We took great pleasure in basting the Roman beast in silver and hearing him scream. We had heard of Ocella and his twisted appetites. What little I'd learned from Eric I knew him to be a molester of children – boys in particular. I also gathered from what Eric did not say, that he too had also suffered much from his maker's megalomaniac madness.

When the silver weakened both vampires enough to stop them moving Dermot and I dragged Eric over to the village well and threw him down the shaft then I quickly moved to reward Appius Livius Ocella for his years of lust and carnage with his final death via decapitation by my silver edged sword 'Ghrian Gheal'.

After the initial pain from the severing of his bond with his maker Eric was able to extricate himself from the well and luckily he was still impeded enough for Dermot and I to help him. From there we teleported to a 'Supe' hospital in York leaving the vampire in the care of a young Amy Ludwig - the daughter of a far removed faery cousin Deedra and Pan the son of Hermes and Iphthima – she has been the Brigant family doctor ever since and I know Eric has kept her on his pay role as well.

"You know I will do whatever I can my Faery friend. Tell me what you need?" I enjoyed that I knew this genuine honorable side of the Vampire in front of me because to most he was an uncaring, arrogant prig.

"My grand-daughter has been severely injured in a blood offence perpetrated by my Adele's 'half-brother'. He forcibly took her and assaulted her." He looked confused.

"Fintan isn't your grand-daughter only an infant?" I can see he is trying to fathom what has happened.

"Eric my friend my grand-daughter is five years old and has sustained many obvious injuries but also some internal wounds. My Adele's Mother Goddess – The Great Gaea insisted I come to you. She told my wife that you would know who could save her, she referred to an old and gnarly Norwegian Spruce." The Vampire let out a bark of laughter.

"Eric this is no laughing matter."

"I understand this my friend but the Goddess has already told you who it was that could save your princess." I didn't understand.

"The Norwegian Spruce is tall and the oldest tree in Sweden." Seeing my confusion he adds. "If I were a tree I would be tall and very old and if you took care to remember I am from Sweden originally." His whole countenance turns bleak then and he says –

Take me to your little one." Before any more is said I grab his shoulder and transport us straight to Sookie's bedside.


End file.
